Environmental Group Puts Lead Atop List of 5 Hazards for Children

The five most serious environmental threats to children in the United States are lead, air pollution, pesticides, tobacco smoke and contaminated drinking water, according to a study released Tuesday by the Natural Resources Defense Council.

The report by the council, a nonprofit environmental group, states that the threats are worse for children than adults because “children are both more exposed to contaminants present in the environment and more physiologically susceptible to certain environmental toxicants.”

Exposure levels are higher, the report states, because “children breathe more air, drink more water and consume more food as a percentage of their body weight.” In addition, children face greater risks because some of their organs may not be fully developed and are more vulnerable to injury, the report says.

Low levels of lead, it notes, “can decrease IQ, cause reading and learning disabilities, reduce attention span and cause behavioral problems.”

Although lead has been banned in gasoline and paint, about 900,000 children under age 6 are estimated to have more of it in their blood than is considered safe.